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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Help and advice for introducing new cats...

35 replies

ResidentFeline · 12/07/2021 15:10

We have inherited my parents’s cat who will be coming to live with us hopefully tomorrow. The problem is we already have a resident cat and I’m very nervous about this. I have read lots about this but also grateful for MNers’ wise advice…

Resident Cat was rescued by us when I found her locked in an empty property to die by previous ownersSad She has the most pampered life possible 9 years on but understandably she Has Issues and is very jumpy, nervous and scared of lots of things like her own paws and tiny ants for example

Newcomer Cat was rescued by my parents from sleeping on the streets SadShe also has the most pampered life possible three years later but is Hard As Nails and does stuff like smacking small dogs in the face completely unprovoked. She does know us all very well but has never been to our house (we do live on the same street) She has also lost her mum and dad (my parents) within six weeks of each other and is missing them.

I have prepared as best as can, separate food and litter areas and a nice base camp in a bedroom where Hard As Nails Cat will be initially - with her current possessions from her own house but also new scratching posts, Feliway, toys, catnip etc.

I will introduce them gradually and use things like the Eat Play Love strategy but I just know MNers will have great advice so over to you guys….

I’m worried about them obviously conducting some sort of dirty protest so have enzyme cat urine thing. I’m worrying about Hard As Nails Cat injuring Nervous Cat With Issues so we are all on standby to prevent this (I also have lots of insurance and vet plans arranged!) I’m worried about either of them running away from home - Hard As Nails Cat wears a harness and lead without complaint so I was going to use this when it’s time for her to go outside. Nervous Cat With Issues tends to stay very close to home and has safe spots in our garden. We also don’t have a cat flap as NCWI is scared of them and frankly doesn’t have the intelligence to work one, plus HANC doesn’t have one as my parents rushed to do her every bidding including opening the back door for her 12000 times day. So we can control their access to outside and supervise them.

I’m desperate to make this successful…any advice wise MNers? Thank you in advance!

OP posts:
Original poster
ResidentFeline · 12/07/2021 15:12

PS my sister who has also inherited HANC but sensibly lives miles away Wink no doubt will see this as she always recognises my threads - including the Cats Don't Stand thread which gave us both lots of enjoyment, so hello Sister Grin

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loves2plan · 12/07/2021 15:52

I introduced a kitten into my home earlier this year (first cat approx 1yo so both still young). My best advice would be to go at their pace, I kept the kitten in a cage for initial introductions but both were very curious quite early on so even though a lot of the advice says to wait 2 weeks or more, I let the baby out at around 3 days. I supervised every time they were together and when I couldn’t be there I kept them separate initially. It’s normal for your cat to hide/be territorial and it’s even normal for them to fights and establish a social hierarchy, as long as neither is getting hurt. Hope everything goes well!

Original poster
ResidentFeline · 12/07/2021 18:33

Thank you @loves2plan! I hope they don't fight as I can only see one winner there Blush

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AuntieJoyce · 12/07/2021 18:37

I’d be careful with the bedroom idea. I have recently introduced a new cat and now, three weeks in, my existing cat lives downstairs in the house and the new cat owns the upstairs. She bullied my daughter when she came home to stay in the bedroom Grin

Original poster
ResidentFeline · 12/07/2021 19:45

Oh shit Shock

How soon did she come out of the bedroom to commence her reign of terror?

Are they both indoor cats or outdoor?

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Original poster
ResidentFeline · 12/07/2021 19:47

Our house is also small, my DD's bedroom is the only one with room for cat bed etc for various reasons.
We only have a lounge and kitchen downstairs so HANC has to go upstairs to acclimatise really.

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AuntieJoyce · 12/07/2021 20:16

Was similar for me. It was either the sitting room or the spare bedroom. My existing cat is old now and doesn’t go out much so I don’t have a catflap. New cat is clearly a birder and keeps trying to get out of open windows. As I write this, my existing cat sitting at the bottom of the stairs looking longingly upstairs. New cat is staring through the upstairs banisters psyching her out Shock

Theblackdogagain · 12/07/2021 20:22

I would start with first names, so fluffy this is buster, he likes beating up small rodents. Buster this is fluffy, she likes kicking her arse.
As long as they have separate areas for sleeping, eating and hanging out they should be OK.

MurielSpriggs · 12/07/2021 20:31

Buster this is fluffy, she likes kicking her arse.

Fluffy is a very unusual cat.

Theblackdogagain · 12/07/2021 20:38

Fluffy is my kind of girl.
My phone is dull, it changes licking to kicking and arse to arsenal.

Original poster
ResidentFeline · 12/07/2021 22:45

Well I appreciate the responses...I shall update - unless Hard As Nails newcomer cat hospitalises me...

imagine if I never came back to this thread Grin

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warmfluffytowels · 13/07/2021 08:10

We have three unrelated cats.

I just let them get on with it though I know that's not the "modern" way of doing things. Latest kitten came home in my arms, plopped him on the floor, the cats and dog gave him a sniff and within 48 hours it was like we'd had him forever.

Yes, there was the odd hiss but nothing major and they all get along fine now (aged 6,5 and 1). They're all black moggies - two males and a female Smile

We never did the weeks of scent swapping and separating them - mainly because our house isn't set up for it but also because I'm not convinced that it doesn't cause more issues than it's supposed to solve.

Original poster
ResidentFeline · 13/07/2021 13:02

Oh that's interesting, and a dog too! Your cats sound great. I'm worried as my two cats are completely different and at either end of the cat personality scale.

I wonder if it makes any difference if you introduce a kitten, maybe they are less "threatening" to other cats?

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Original poster
ResidentFeline · 13/07/2021 13:04

Also (I don't think this is a drip feed just more informationGrin) my cat is the most vocal and needy cat I have ever met, she whines meows all the time. She's a Norwegian forest cat and I think they are known for it.

Hard as Nails cat is almost completely silent, she only meows on special occasions!

It's interesting how cats can have such different personalities.

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Beamur · 13/07/2021 13:08

You sound pretty well prepared.
It's not unusual for cats to divide up the house, either by space or time.
My kittens ousted my resident cat from her preferred napping spot but don't actually use it themselves! Resident cat now owns the ground floor. Kitten 1 has ground plus middle. Kitten 2 has middle plus attic and the ground floor, but gives way to cat.
The kittens (fully grown now) don't get on brilliantly with my other cat. They don't fight but neither are they friends. Feliway helps a lot.

Original poster
ResidentFeline · 13/07/2021 13:25

God I wish I had a bigger house Grin

Also, unfortunately they both can't be trusted with open windows upstairs - Nervous Cat as she is so dim (I do love her) she doesn't realise there is a drop, and Hard As Nails Cat just gets overexcited and would dive out after birds.

Fuck I just remembered Hard As Nails get likes to bring in trophies gifts...sometimes birds but often mice and we have to check her mouth before entry (another reason we don't have cat flap). My eldest DD has a mouse phobia...

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Original poster
ResidentFeline · 13/07/2021 13:27

Also we have dogs on either side of our house and Hard As Nails cat does not like dogs. My sister had a little dog and HANC once hit it in the face completely unprovoked. (The little dog was lovely and gentle too)

Next doors dog is a fucking horrible Staffie that barks all fucking day too.

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IJustLovePirates · 13/07/2021 13:47

I have a 10 year old cat and a two year old rescue puppy. The cat has terrorised the puppy from its first introduction to our household. She can be quite vicious. The dog, who is now four time’s her size, is frankly terrified. She sits in the hallway, denying him access to where we might be.

We have recently adopted a tiny feral kitten who would otherwise probably have been put down. There was a lot of initial yowling, hissing and aggressive behaviour from our cat, but we did the initial keeping in seperate rooms, the switching the rooms around, and have been astonished the last few nights to see them play ‘boxing’

Given our cat’s ongoing contempt and aggression towards the dog, the playing with the kitten is very encouraging :)

Original poster
ResidentFeline · 14/07/2021 09:16

Well - new cat is in residence! She has used her new litter tray correctly which is a big relief. She has had a little explore of the house when Nervy Cat was out and seemed fine.

We took her outside in her harness for a short time - and this bit was a surprise! Nervy Cat spotted her and approached and yowled a bit and Hard as Nails Cat quailed in fear Shock
She then went back inside and is busy playing with DH.

I'm a bit nervous myself now that Nervy Cat won't come back in the house with a new cat in it, but I'm probably worrying over nothing

I think I'd like them to meet inside sooner rather than later and was going to dig out the laser toy to distract them from each other....

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Original poster
ResidentFeline · 14/07/2021 09:16

God I didn't overthink worry to this extent when my DCs came home as newborns!!

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Original poster
ResidentFeline · 14/07/2021 09:21

Fuck sake now she is meowing at the door with Big Eyes! Do you guys think I should just let her out without the harness? She only came here yesterday and I worry about her running off.

I imagine if she did she would run home to the end of the road but it may be a bit too far for her to realise where it is - we actually picked her up in the car and drove around the block a couple of times so she wouldn't realise how near it was. Typing that made me realise how deranged I sound Blush

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Mrstreehouse · 14/07/2021 09:23

I have introduced lots of kittens to our older cats. Some they ignored and some they fought with. I usually keep them in a separate room for a few days and let them sniff under the door at each other. I wouldn’t recommend the cage approach. Cats/kittens are good at getting out of the way if needed. Then I would let them meet supervised for a spell and just keep an eye on things.

TiddyAndFletch · 14/07/2021 09:25

I wouldn't let her out yet - she needs to register your house as 'home' which is unlikely to have happened yet.

Parfor · 14/07/2021 09:35

Don’t let her out! She needs to be kept inside for weeks not hours!

Original poster
ResidentFeline · 14/07/2021 09:40

Yes you're all right I know. It's just that she usually spends most of the day outside, she doesn't like being an indoor cat. I'm going to have delegate a DC to hold her harness for exploratory trips aren't I...

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